I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spud assembly for use with a fuel tank.
II. Description of the Prior Art
All automotive vehicles which utilize liquid hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline or diesel fuel, include a fuel tank having a body defining an interior chamber in which the fuel is contained as well as an outer periphery. A tubular and cylindrical spud is then connected to the fuel tank so that the spud protrudes outwardly from the outside of the fuel tank and is open to the interior of the fuel tank.
In order to enable refilling of the fuel tank, an elongated filler pipe is connected at one end to the fuel tank spud and, at its other end, is accessible exteriorly of the vehicle for refilling. In order to compensate for any vibration or movement between the fuel tank and the body of the automotive vehicle, the portion of the filler pipe which is connected to the fuel tank spud is made of a resilient material.
In order to connect the filler pipe to the fuel tank spud, it has been previously known to utilize hose clamps of one sort or another which compress the filler pipe around the fuel tank spud. Additionally, the fuel tank spud typically includes a barb to eliminate, or at least greatly reduce the risk of, pull off of the filler pipe from the fuel tank spud.
This previously known method for securing the filler pipe to the fuel tank spud, however, has suffered from a number of disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the attachment of the filler pipe to the fuel tank spud is typically manually performed on the assembly line. As such, the operation of securing the filler pipe to the fuel tank spud is labor intensive and, thus, relatively expensive in assembly cost.
A still further disadvantage of the previously known method of attaching the filler pipe to the fuel tank spud is that, because the filler pipe is manually connected to the fuel tank spud, errors in attachment between the filler pipe and fuel tank spud can and do occur. Any such errors or insufficient securement of the filler tank to the fuel tank spud can result not only in the leakage of fuel from the connection between the filler pipe and the fuel tank spud, but also the escape of hydrocarbon gases. Furthermore, increasingly stringent government regulations greatly restrict the amount of hydrocarbon emissions from the automotive vehicle.
The present invention provides a spud assembly for use with a fuel tank which overcomes all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known devices.
In brief, the spud assembly of the present invention comprises a base which is attached to the outer periphery of the fuel tank. This base includes a throughbore open to both the interior chamber of the tank and exteriorly of the tank. Preferably, the base includes an outwardly facing mounting surface at its outer or free end.
An elongated tubular and cylindrical spud having an axial throughbore is insertable into the base throughbore from an unconnected and to a connected position. In its connected position, the spud throughbore is open to the interior of the fuel tank. Preferably the spud includes an outwardly extending annular flange which abuts against the base mounting surface to limit the insertion of the spud into the base at its connected position. Additionally, a conventional fluid seal, such as an O-ring, is disposed between the base and the spud to ensure a fluid seal between the base and spud.
The base further includes at least one, and preferably several circumferentially spaced flexible locking fingers. These locking fingers engage a locking abutment surface on the spud when the spud is moved to its connected position thereby locking the spud to the base.
In an alternative embodiment, a locking ring is coaxially disposed over both the spud and the base when the spud is at its connected position. The locking ring includes at least one, and preferably several, circumferentially spaced bayonet couplings which cooperate with locking tabs on the base. The locking ring is thus rotatable between an unlocked position, in which the spud and base are detachable from each other, and a locked position in which the bayonet couplings on the locking ring lockingly engage the locking tabs on the base and lock the spud and base together. With the locking ring in its locked position, the spud flange is sandwiched in between the locking ring and the base.